# Ministry of Environment (Lithuania)

The Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Respublikos aplinkos ministerija) oversees the environment and natural resources in Lithuania. Its mission is:
* To implement the principle of sustainable development;
* To set preconditions for rational utilization, protection and restoration of natural resources;
* To ensure provision of information about the state of environment and its forecasts to the public;
* To create conditions for the development of construction business and the provision of residents with housing;
* To ensure a proper environmental quality, taking into account the norms and standards of the European Union.
The Environment Protection Department, accountable to the Supreme Council – Reconstituent Seimas, was established to oversee environment protection and exploitation of natural resources after Lithuania restored its independence in 1990. In 1996, the Department was reorganized into Ministry of Environmental Protection. In 1998, after the merger with Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, it was renamed to Ministry of Environment. Thus it became responsible for construction, territorial planning, and housing. The Ministry has numerous divisions and subordinate institutions responsible for protected areas, environment protection, geological survey, forestry, metrology, meteorology services, and marine research. The Ministry also runs the Tadas Ivanauskas Zoological Museum.

## Ministers

Democratic Labour Party  Farmers and Greens Union  Homeland Union  Liberal Movement  Liberal Union  New Union  Order and Justice Party  Social Democratic Party  Independent
Ministry of Environmental Protection :
| Term | Minister | Party | Cabinet | Office | Office | Office |
| Term | Minister | Party | Cabinet | Start date | End date | Time in office |
| 1 | Bronius Bradauskas (born 1944) | Democratic Labour Party | Šleževičius | 31 March 1993 | 19 March 1996 | 2 years, 354 days |
| 2 | Bronius Bradauskas (born 1944) | Democratic Labour Party | Stankevičius | 19 March 1996 | 10 December 1996 | 266 days |
| Ministry of Environment |||||||
| Term | Minister | Party | Cabinet | Office | Office | Office |
| Term | Minister | Party | Cabinet | Start date | End date | Time in office |
| 3 | Imantas Lazdinis (born 1944) | Independent | Vagnorius | 10 December 1996 | 25 March 1998 | 1 year, 105 days |
| 4 | Algis Čaplikas (born 1962) | Independent | Vagnorius | 25 March 1998 | 5 March 1999 | 345 days |
| 5 | Danius Lygis (born 1948) | Homeland Union | Vagnorius | 8 April 1999 | 10 June 1999 | 63 days |
| 6 | Danius Lygis (born 1948) | Homeland Union | Paksas | 10 June 1999 | 11 November 1999 | 154 days |
| 7 | Danius Lygis (born 1948) | Liberal Union | Kubilius | 11 November 1999 | 9 November 2000 | 364 days |
| 8 | Henrikas Žukauskas (born 1951) | Homeland Union | Paksas | 9 November 2000 | 12 July 2001 | 245 days |
| 9 | Arūnas Kundrotas (born 1963) | Social Democratic Party | Brazauskas | 12 July 2001 | 14 December 2004 | 3 years, 155 days |
| 10 | Arūnas Kundrotas (born 1963) | Social Democratic Party | Brazauskas | 14 December 2004 | 18 July 2006 | 1 year, 216 days |
| 11 | Arūnas Kundrotas (born 1963) | Social Democratic Party | Kirkilas | 18 July 2006 | 31 January 2008 | 1 year, 197 days |
| 12 | Artūras Paulauskas (born 1963) | New Union | Kirkilas | 31 January 2008 | 9 December 2008 | 313 days |
| 13 | Gediminas Kazlauskas (born 1959) | Independent | Kubilius | 9 December 2008 | 13 December 2012 | 4 years, 4 days |
| 14 | Valentinas Mazuronis (born 1953) | Order and Justice Party | Butkevičius | 13 December 2012 | 15 June 2014 | 1 year, 184 days |
| 15 | Kęstutis Trečiokas (born 1957) | Order and Justice Party | Butkevičius | 17 July 2014 | 13 December 2016 | 2 years, 149 days |
| 16 | Kęstutis Navickas (born 1970) | Independent | Skvernelis | 13 December 2016 | 7 December 2018 | 1 year, 359 days |
| 17 | Kęstutis Mažeika (born 1982) | Farmers and Greens Union | Skvernelis | 4 April 2019 | 11 December 2020 | 1 year, 251 days |
| 18 | Simonas Gentvilas (born 1984) | Liberal Movement | Šimonytė Paluckas | 11 December 2020 | 12 December 2024 | 4 years, 1 day |
| 19 | Povilas Poderskis | Independent | Šimonytė Paluckas | 12 December 2024 | Incumbent | |